through the tears and the laughter
by Josephine Manners
Summary: After a night of spiked punch and loneliness, Rachel has to deal with the aftermath- an unwanted pregnancy. Rated T for hopefully obvious reasons, one-shot. Title taken from Kelly Clarkson's song "Beautiful Disaster"


**through the tears and the laughter**

**Warnings/Contains:** some slash, some curses, non-explicit sex, teen pregnancy, characters probably being a bit ooc, mentions of nudity, and to be safe spoilers up to Original Songs (I don't read spoilers for unreleased episodes, so anything similar is purely coincidental).  
**Established Pairings:** Finchel, Klaine  
**Rating:** T  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Glee.  
**A/N:** So the main idea of the story is a tad overdone (I've seen it twice before) but I wanted to take a shot at it. I have been working on this for a few days, and it's definitely the longest thing I have ever written. I didn't plan for as much dialouge as there was, but it kind of just wrote itself. All mistakes are mine, _reviews are like crack to me_, and this is staying a one-shot.

* * *

The party wasn't supposed to turn out like this. It was supposed to be good, clean, Halloween fun. Puck wasn't supposed to spike the punch. Nobody was supposed to be drunk, and it certainly wasn't supposed to change a few people's lives. But it did, and that was the problem.

**conception (prologue)**

_Rachel stood in the corner, telling herself that she wasn't going to cry. This wasn't right, since when did Finn drink? She watched him chug down bottle after bottle, and then disappear outside -she guessed they were going to someplace else- with a figure; she couldn't make out who it was. Hold on, was that Blaine? And were they going to drunkenly drive somewhere? She hoped not. _

"_You can cry if you want to." A voice said, startling the petite girl. She turned around, to see it was Kurt. He looked like he was about to cry, too. _Why is that?_ She wondered. And then she remembered_, Blaine's his boyfriend_._

"_No, I have to be strong." she replied._

"_Nobody's strong forever, Rachel."_

"_I am."_

"_Well, if you refuse to cry, you might as well drink some of this spiked punch with me."_

"_I don't drink."_

"_I don't either, but I can't bring myself to care."_

_She paused for a moment, looking at him. Her eyes were rimmed with tears, and she opened her mouth to say a single word, loaded with emotion: "Okay."_

_Several cups of punch later and Rachel finds herself pressing her lips against Kurt's. He pulls away, shocked. He's about to say something, but then looks at her. She's a complete wreck, and he probably is too. He knows he's dating Blaine and that Rachel's dating Finn; but he can't bring himself to care. When she leans in for another, he finds himself kissing back. _

_Rachel leans to the side of Kurt's cheek, and whispers "let's go upstairs." He nods, and she grabs his hand. A few minutes later, they're on the young woman's bed. They caress each other, touching and kissing places nobody's ever explored before. Clothes come off, and they find themselves getting lost in each other. They both know it's not meant to be like this- but right now, they need each other. It's all that matters. _

**day one**

_Kurt wakes up, and his head is pounding. He looks down, and since when did he sleep in the nude? He stretches quickly puts on his clothes (which were scattered across the floor), and feels something warm next to him as he gets up. _That's strange, _he thought. He looks to see what's next to him, and screams._

"_Whaaaaaa?" The girl next to him mumbles, blinking her eyes open. "Kurt? Why are you here? And why do I feel sick?"_

"_How the hell should I know? I just woke up and it feels like someone's been screaming in my ear for the past week."_

"_Stop yelling. And Kurt, why am I naked?" she asks sleepily, unaware of how strange her current position is. _

"_I don't know. I can't remember much from last night."_

"_Me neither."_

"_Oh wait, shit." Kurt says, his eyes growing wide with shock and realization. "We are going to forget where we woke up today. We aren't going to try and remember last night. We are never to talk about this again, okay Rachel?"_

"_We've been friends for a few months now, so why not?" _

"_Rachel, I want you to think right now. I'm in your bedroom. You feel sick, and I have a killer headache. You're naked. I was naked before I woke up and put clothes on. Do the math."_

"_Fuck," she says in a barely-audible whisper. "You mean we…?"_

"_It would appear so. I say we just forget about this, pretend it never happened."_

"_That would be best." Rachel concurs. They stare at each other in silence for a few minutes, before Kurt leaves the room. As soon as she knows he's gone, the brunette starts to sob. Little does she know that a certain countertenor is doing the same in his car._

**day one (continued)**

_Finn groggily woke up, realizing he was on the floor. A floor he didn't recognize. A floor that had his clothes and someone else's strewn across it. Before he had to time to speculate on anything, the tall boy found himself puking. When he finally finished, he began to pick his clothes of the floor as he'd become quite aware of the fact that he was quite naked. After he got dressed and headed out the door, he tripped over something._

"_Ugh, mom, I don't want to get up yet…" a voice said from beneath a blanket, startling him. Finn just blinked in confusion, and headed for the door._

_The person Finn tripped over sat up, the blanket falling down to their waist. It was Blaine. "You're not my mom." He said seriously._

"_No, I'm tired and hungover." Finn said._

"_Still not my mom." Blaine remarked, standing up._

"_Dude!" Finn shouted "Put some clothes on, I do _not_ need to see that."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Look down."_

"_Oh." The curly-haired teen said, his cheeks turning bright red. He collected his clothes from the floor and quickly put them on. "Better?"_

"_Much. Do you have any idea where we are?" _

"_My bedroom."_

_Finn's eyes widened in surprise and awareness. Blaine stared at him in confusion for second, and then his look changed to match the other boy's. "Shit," He said, flopping down as his bed. "What are we going to do?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_What? Just act like this didn't happen?"_

"_I don't really know what 'it' is, but yeah."_

"_I guess that could work…"_

"_It's either that or we tell people and essentially screw our lives over."_

"_I'm a little surprised you thought of that, from what Kurt told me, you're pretty dumb."_

"_Gee, thanks."_

"_Sorry."_

"_I'm just going to leave now."_

"_That would probably be a good idea." Blaine agreed, watching the larger boy leave. He pondered what really did happen, it certainly would explain why his ass hurt so much._

**week three**

_For the past twenty-one days, Rachel knows something is just _off_. She hasn't been feeling too well, and some of her favorite foods don't taste the same. So when she checks her period-tracking chart and realizes she hasn't gotten hers recently, she begins to freak out. A million thoughts rush to her mind, and a million more questions that she doesn't want the answers to. _

_After school, she buys three home pregnancy tests (just to be sure), and sneaks them into her home. She carefully reads the directions of the first one, and follows them perfectly. When the ten agonizing minutes are over, she spends another five deciding if she should check it. She takes a deep breath, and sees a little plus sign staring back at her. She begins to hyperventilate, and calms down by telling herself it's only one. She takes the next one, which reads negative. _

_The petite girl tells herself that she has nothing to worry about if the third stick reads negative. She holds the box in her hand, knowing that its contents hold the answers to the future. And she's scared of it, scared of a little piece of technology. She takes another deep breath, and uses it. Ten minutes later and Rachel has all her answers._

Shit, _she thinks as tears roll down her cheeks_. I'm no better than Quinn.

**week three and a half**

"_Kurt, can I talk to you, alone? It's important." Rachel inquires after glee club that day. Right now, she's gladder than ever he transferred back to McKinley. This was definitely something that needed to be said in person, not over the phone._

"_Okay," he agrees, following her to the far corner. "What's the matter, Rache?"_

"_Hold on." She demands, watching to make sure everyone left the room. _

"…"

"_Not yet," She says, hushing him. She waits a few more minutes, to make sure nobody left anything behind and could walk in on their conversation. "I need to talk to you about that day we promised never to talk about."_

"_Rachel, I don't want to talk about it."_

"_I know, but it's important."_

"_Fine," the fashionista sighs. "What?"_

"_Kurt, I-I'm p-pregnant." Rachel stammered out through her tears._

"_Whatever happened to you needing to be strong?" Kurt joked, pulling the smaller girl into a hug. "It's okay, cry as long as you need to. I hate to admit it, but I care about you more than this shirt."_

**week four**

"_Blaine, I can't be in a relationship with you anymore. I'm sorry." Kurt said solemnly. _

"_Why? Please don't do this Kurt – I love you." Blaine replied, filled with hurt and confusion. _

"_I'm breaking up with you because I love you, too."_

"_If you loved me, you wouldn't leave me!"_

"_That's not enough. Not anymore."_

"_It has to be."_

"_It isn't. Please don't make this harder than it is, Blaine. We just can't be together anymore." The countertenor said, tears filling his eyes._

"_Why not?"_

"_I have my reasons. I can't tell you them, but it's better this way."_

"_Kurt, just please don't leave."_

"_I have to, Blaine, I just have to. Don't make this harder than it is. And please don't try to contact me for at least a month, because I won't reply. It needs to be a clean break."_

"_Can you tell me one of these so-called reasons of yours?"_

"_How about what you did with Finn at that party a month ago?"_

"_I can explain-"_

"_There's nothing to explain."_

"_Kurt-"_

"_Goodbye, Blaine." The taller boy said, walking away with his head held high._

**week four (continued)**

_Rachel found herself patting Kurt on the back, letting him cry onto her shoulder. The room was completely silent, except for the sound of sobbing, and an occasional 'there, there' from Rachel. She wasn't really good at the whole comforting thing, but she was making an effort. If she was going to be a mother, she needed to get the whole sympathy thing down. _Oh god, _she wondered_, am I going to keep it?

_She tried to stop thinking about the future, telling herself she could think about it later. Right now, she had to focus on her friend. She couldn't really believe that he'd broken up with Blaine. The two seemed so perfect together. Were there cracks she hadn't seen? The poor boy only managed to sputter out a few words, "I broke up – Blaine – told – because – Finn – party and –not contact me – loved him" between sobs. Rachel figured out the rest. _

_As she watched the broken boy sob, the petite girl began to think. She had far too many questions. What was she going to do about Finn? What actually did happen between Blaine and Finn? Did she even want to know? Why does everything have to be so complicated? Why was she even thinking of these questioning now? She should be comforting her friend. _

**week five**

"_Finn, I'm so sorry." Rachel said. _

"_About what?" The jock questioned, a little confused at his girlfriend's sudden apology._

"_I cheated on you."_

"_What! With who!"_

"_That's none of your business, Finn. The point is, I cheated on you, and you should break up with me."_

"_Why are you telling me this?"_

"_Because I can't look at you without feeling ashamed, knowing what I know."_

"_Rachel, it's okay. We can work through this."_

"_No, we can't."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I did something I'm not proud of. And I'm pretty sure you did too, about a month ago. But that's beside the point."_

"_Rachel, what are you talking about?_

"_I'm talking about that Halloween party."_

"_Oh." Finn said, looking really guilty._

"_Do you care to tell me what actually went down, Finn? I know you cheated on me. I can tell because you look guilty, and because the last time I cheated on you, you freaked. This time, you wanted to work it out. I know you, Finn, and I know something went down at that party."_

"_Rach-" _

"_I don't care to know what happened. I cheated on you at that party, too; I'm just as bad. Perhaps I'm worse. But you should break up with me."_

"_I don't want to. I want to be with you."_

"_We can't be together."_

"_Why not?" he pleaded, receiving only a blank stare from Rachel._

"_I'm pregnant," She finally said, after a long while. "And unlike Quinn, I don't want to deceive you."_

"_Rachel, I'm sorry. And I still want to be with you. I can help you raise it, even though it isn't mine."_

"_I don't know if I'm going to keep it yet."_

"_So, uh, who else knows?"_

"_Just the father."_

"_What does he want to do?"_

"_I don't know, I didn't ask. If you're worried I'm leaving for you him, don't worry, I'm not."_

"_Then why do you want me to break up with you?"_

"_Because I'd rather be alone right now. It's just something I need to do, don't question it. And since you refuse to dump me, I'll dump you. Although, for the sake of glee, we can still be friends."_

"_Rachel-"_

"_You're a good guy, Finn. Don't forget that."_

**week seven**

_Two weeks passed without much action. Blaine attempted to call Kurt for a while, leaving a myriad of voicemails and text messages. True to his word, the countertenor didn't answer any of them. Meanwhile, Rachel had begun to avoid Finn. The quarterback had started using any excuse to talk to her, and gave her longing glances. Rachel ignored it; she knew he was only acting like he did out of guilt._

**week eight**

"_I'm keeping my baby. I thought you should know." Rachel announced to Kurt one day after club._

"_Are you sure about this?" Kurt asked, after a long pause._

"_Yes."_

"_People are going to torture you."_

"_They already do."_

"_You could always look into a-"_

"_Don't you dare say what I think you are, Kurt. I can't kill a fetus." The smaller brunette interrupted. _

"_I was going to say adoption."_

"_Oh. Well, I don't want to do that either."_

"_And why is that?"_

"_I don't think I can carry a child for nine months and then give it away to a stranger. You know better than anyone that I'm not as strong as I act."_

"_But can you really do the single teen mom thing, Rache? I just want to know you thought about this; and I think- I hope you're aware that I could never be with you romantically and that would be awkward for a child. I mean I could probably help if you wanted, but..."_

"_Of course I know that, I'm not an idiot. I did think about it, Kurt. I think its best. And don't worry; you wouldn't have to help raise it, my dads can after I tell them- so can Finn."_

"_Finn knows?" Kurt questioned._

"_Just that I'm pregnant and that it isn't his. Also, I don't plan on telling him I'm keeping it yet, I'm worried he'll try to convince me to name it Drizzle. Don't worry though, he doesn't know well, _you _know."_

"_And he was okay with that? Because the last time you cheated on him he dumped you."_

"_I think he feels guilty because he cheated too. I mean, I broke up with him this time but he still wants to get back together."_

"_Oh." Kurt frowned._

"_Sorry." The soprano said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He instinctively jerked back, but then relaxed._

"_So, uh, when can you stop referring to it as and it and by a gender?" he asked, trying to change to subject._

"_Well, I'm 8 weeks along, and I read on a website that the prime time for a sonogram is around 20 weeks. So about 3 months from now."_

"_Wow, that seems really far away," Kurt remarked. "And when are you going to start to show? Because I'm picking out your maternity clothes whether you like it or not."_

"_The site says you start to show around 20 weeks as well, but it depends from person to person. Since this is my first and I'm really young, it could take even longer."_

"_So I still have to take in your toddler outfits for a while?"_

"_Yup, you're not getting rid of these clothes that easily." Rachel smiled._

**week nine**

_Kurt plopped down on his bed with a sigh. His phone wouldn't stop ringing (and he just knew it was Blaine, caller ID be damned), and it had been more than a month. He thought for a moment if he should answer, and decided to against his better judgment. He thought that maybe he could talk some sense into Blaine. And hoped that maybe if he answered the shorter boy would stop calling, it was really getting on his nerves; and he hadn't the heart to block his number._

"_Hello." He answered, hoping he sounded annoyed._

"_Kurt!" Blaine answered, sounding a little surprised. _

"_The one and only; what do you want?"_

"_To talk to you."_

"_Did you really, Blaine? I mean, I couldn't figure that out by the fact that you have been calling me non-stop for over a month. _

"_I wanted to talk to you about us."_

"_There is no 'us' anymore, Blaine."_

"_I want you back, Kurt. I still love you."_

"_Like I told you a month ago, love isn't enough. Can't you realize that?"_

"_No, because you never told me why it isn't."_

"_You know why, Blaine? Because I fucked up -yes, I did just curse, thank you- and I fucked up big time. I did something I'm not proud of, and I can't help but feel ashamed every single day. I can't help but deal with the results of my mistake; one I made because I was drunk and stupid. I have to be strong because my mistake affected someone else, too. I have to be strong for them, Blaine. And I can't have something as trivial as a relationship in my life right now, it would just be stressful. That's why love isn't enough." The countertenor practically screamed into his phone, tears rolling down his cheeks. At least he finally got all those emotions out._

"_Kurt, I don't care how terrible your mistake was. I still want to be with you, and we both know I made a mistake, too."_

"_No, my mistake is worse."_

"_Did you kill someone?"_

"_No, I got someone pregnant."_

"_What? Who? How!" Blaine asked, his eyes bugging out of his head._

"_You see, when a mommy and daddy love each other veryyyy much- or in my case, get veryyyyy drunk…"_

"_Kurt, you know that's not what I meant."_

"_Well if you don't want a biology lesson, I have nothing to tell you. You know my secret now, and why I won't get back together with you. Even if you still want to, I still don't. And if you call me or text me more than 3 times in one day, I seriously will block your number, okay? I've just been too soft to do that so far. Bye."_

"_Wai-" the curly-haired boy began, but he knew he was too late. Kurt had already ended the call._

_From then on, Blaine only called and/or texted exactly 3 times a day, and Kurt still didn't answer._

**week ten**

_Hiram and Leroy stared at their daughter in disbelief. Out of all the news she could have told them, she dropped the p-bomb. I'm Pregnant. It was loaded with so much meaning, especially coming from Rachel. The two men knew the little soprano better than anyone -they were her fathers after all- and they knew it was hard for her to tell them. They both went over to hug her, letting her cry. They would ask her questions about it later, right now she just needed to know they were there for her._

**week eleven**

"_Rachel, sweetie, can we talk to you?" Hiram asked, motioning for the petite brunette to sit down in between him and his husband on the couch._

"_Of course, daddy." She replied, plopping down onto the couch._

"_Well, uh, it's been a week since you told us the…news, and we'd like to know more about it, that's okay with you." Leroy said._

"_Well, what do you want to know? I'll tell you anything."_

"_Okay, well, we'd like to know, when did this happen?"_

"_At that Halloween party I hosted a while ago- you two went out that weekend but said I could have it, remember?"_

"_Were people drinking at this party?"_

"_Well, yes. Before you get mad- I told them no alcohol, but Puck spiked the punch anyway."_

"_I never did trust him…" Hiram mumbled. "He's not the father, is he?"_

"_Oh god, no!"_

"_Then who is?" Leroy asked._

"_Uhm. My friend Kurt."_

"_Kurt… I don't think I remember him…"_

"_Finn's step-brother."_

"_Rachel!"_

"_What! Finn disappeared somewhere with Blaine and I was upset so was Kurt who came to comfort me and then we started drinking the punch and then it just happened. I'm sorry!" Rachel bawled, the words coming out at a mile a minute._

"_Whoa, slow down sweetheart. Explain from the beginning."_

"_Finn, I know you remember him because we were dating for few months, disappeared with Blaine-the curly-haired warbler boy, I don't know if you ever met him- somewhere. I was really upset, and I was trying really hard not to cry in the corner. Kurt came over and comforted me and things kind of escalated form there and it escalated form there."_

"_Shh, shh, it's okay," Hiram crooned, putting an arm around his daughter. "Let it all out."_

"_So uhm, how far are you exactly now?" Leroy asked after a few minutes of silence._

"_11 weeks." replied Rachel._

"_Do you know what you want to do with it?"_

"_I'd like to keep it, if that's okay with you."_

"_Of course it is, sweetie. We could never ask you to give up your child."_

"_Thanks, dads." She said gratefully, giving them each a hug._

**week twelve**

_Everybody in New Directions was trying to perfect the new choreography Mike had been working on. It was fairly challenging, but everyone had managed to get it down pretty well. While they were running through it for the fifth time, Rachel tripped over nothing and fell on her back._

"_Rachel, are you okay?" Kurt asked, rushing to her side almost immediately. Finn did the same._

"_I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry about me." She assured him._

"_She probably just fell because she's been getting fat lately!" Santana laughed._

"_Excuse me, Santana? I have not been gaining any weight!"_

"_Yes you have, Berry. I can tell. I have to see you most days in glee rehearsal and I've noticed. Other people may not notice, but I have." The Latina said._

"_Really Santana, is that all you can say? No concern for if she's okay, only a fat joke? Are you trying to make her feel insecure? Because that's awfully funny from the girl who got a boob job." Kurt defended._

"_God, why are you defending her, lady boy?"_

"_I'm not defending her, I'm defending everyone you've ever tortured because you're a bitch!"_

"_Oh, not this again." Someone mumbled._

"_GUYS! Stop fighting! I swear, if you guys don't start acting like a team I will send anyone who bickers to Figgins' office. Regionals are in a month, pull yourselves together!" yelled Mr. Schue._

"_Sorry, Mr. Schue." Kurt said quickly._

"_I'm not," Santana retorted. "I mean seriously, Berry's been getting fat!"_

"_I'll let that one slide, but if another one of you says something insulting…"_

"_Yeah, yeah, Mr. Schue. We get it."_

"_She has a point you know." Someone whispered, before they all got back to the routine._

**week thirteen**

_Rachel slammed her locker shut, not looking forward to glee for the first time in her life. Santana's fat comment last week had made her a lot more self-conscious. If Satan had noticed her getting a little larger, other people would begin to see it, too. And she was completely screwed if Jacob Ben Israel found out. What if she had to give him another pair of her underwear? She certainly didn't want that. She turned around, surprised to find Quinn standing before her._

"_How far along are you?" asked the ex-cheerio._

"_Excuse me, Quinn? I have no idea what you're talking about." Replied the diva._

"_Yes you do, Berry. When Santana made that fat comment last week, I couldn't help but notice your expression."_

"_And what expression would that be?"_

"_The one where you're scared and worried that people are going to find out. I was there last year."_

"_Quinn, I seriously don't know what you're talking about."_

"_Don't worry, berry. I'm not going to torture you. I remember when I was pregnant; I said I would torture you if the roles were reversed. But you were nice to me. It's my turn to do the same."_

"_Thirteen weeks."_

"_What?"_

"_You asked me how far along I was. Thirteen weeks. Please don't tell anyone."_

"_I won't, but people are going to find out."_

"_I know."_

"_So who else knows? I'm curious."_

"_My dads, Finn, and Kurt."_

"_Ah, that explains why they both rushed over to your side when you fell."_

"_That would be correct."_

"_So who's the father?"_

"_That I will never tell. Although, I'll tell you it isn't Finn. Come on, we're going to be late for glee." Rachel said, walking towards the choir room. The ex-cheerio stared at her for a second before following her._

**week fifteen**

_Rachel took a deep breath before stepping into the choir room. Today she was going to tell them. She was scared, and it was a feeling she didn't like. Being pregnant seemed to bring out everything she hadn't known about herself, as well as everything she had tried to hide. She released her breath, and took the fateful step._

"_Rachel, you're finally here! Now we can start-" began Mr. Schue._

"_Mr. Schue, sorry to interrupt, but if I may I'd like to make an announcement before we begin."_

"_Uh, sure." He agreed._

"_My fellow glee clubbers," Rachel began, stepping to the center of the room so she could face her audience. "I'm about to tell you something that I'd rather not leave this club, but I have no control over what you say or do. As we all know, Santana made a rather rude an inappropriate comment about my size a few weeks ago.-"_

"_Is this relevant?" interrupted the Latina._

"_Let me finish, Santana! As I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, your comment made me realize something. People are going to begin to notice sooner or later, and rumors would spread. I thought you should all hear the news from me: I'm fifteen weeks pregnant. Also, I plan to keep the baby and I'll find out its gender in five weeks." Rachel finished._

_Everyone stared at her for a second their eyes widening in shock. Some were shocked because they always thought she was a prude and a few because they hadn't expected her to announce it. Kurt mentally let out a sigh of relief; he wasn't ready for Mercedes to badger him when she found out. He know they probably all would eventually, but he wasn't ready for that right now. After the gaping, everyone began to whisper. Rachel overheard tidbits of "Damn, I didn't know she had that in her" and "I wonder who the father is? Probably Finn."_

"_Guys, settle down. I know Rachel just revealed some shocking news, but you all need to calm down. Regionals are in a week, and we need to perfect our performance!"_

**week sixteen**

_Rachel felt truly happy for the first time in months. She was on stage, singing her heart out. Right now, she was just performing. She didn't have to worry about pregnancy or about people finding out that she lost her virginity to Kurt or having to give her panties away to Jacob Ben Israel again. She let the music take her, and New Directions finished their song. She listened to the audience clap, wishing that life could always feel like this._

_She listened to the Warblers perform, and then Vocal Adrenaline. They sounded amazing, and she had little to no critique for them. New Directions had their competition cut out for them. She got up with her glee club on the stage, waiting for the winners to be called. She listened as they announced the second place winner; uncharacteristically hoping it would be them. That way, glee club would stay intact and she could worry more about her baby for the rest of the year. To her delight, they were, and the Warblers had taken first. Take _that_, Vocal Adrenaline. She figured karma had finally gotten to them after the egg incident._

**week eighteen**

_Rachel stared at herself in the mirror. Her shirt looked a bit shorter than usual, but it wasn't very noticeable (or so she hoped). She made sure she had a long tank underneath it; she didn't want any skin to show. She wished that Jacob didn't come up to her that day-she was almost sure that he would have figured it out by now. She wondered how he knew everything before everyone else. Did he have secret cameras hidden in his jew-fro?_

_Unfortunately for Rachel, her wish didn't come true. She made it halfway through the day before being bombarded at her locker._

"_A little birdie told me that you're pregnant. Do you confirm or deny this statement?"_

"_I'm not wasting my time with you, go away."_

"_So are you denying it?"_

"_I'm not confirming nor denying it, Jacob. I don't really care to partake in your gossip, but if you want to run a rumor on your blog, go for it."_

"_I won't run any story if you give me a pair of your panties again."_

"_No, because this time I don't care. And last time I did that you ran the story anyway. I can't trust you, and why should I? You run filth and lies on your blog. Now leave me the hell alone and let me get to my class."_

**week twenty**

_Rachel stared at the monitor; it was kind of strange to think that she was looking at what was currently inside her. Kurt stared, too, because it was kind of strange to think that he helped make that by being drunk and stupid. Life was funny that way._

"_Congratulations, it's a boy." Said Dr. Wu, although his voice said he didn't really care._

"_Thanks," said Rachel. "Are we free to go now?"_

"_Yes, just please leave already."_

"_Uhm, okay."_

"_Come on, Rache, we need to go buy you some maternity clothes." Kurt said, walking out of the room._

"_Ugh, you were serious about that?" she asked, as she got up and followed him out the door._

"_I never joke about fashion. Besides, your clothes obviously don't fit and you're just going to get bigger."_

"_True."_

"_And Rachel, this is unrelated to clothes, but I have a question."_

"_Is it alright with you if I tell my dad about the pregnancy? I don't like keeping secrets from him."_

"_Of course. I mean, my dads know, so yours has a right to know as well."_

"_Thank you. And uh, do our dads know that-"_

"_Yes. Don't worry; they don't hold it against you. I think."_

"_Gee, that's reassuring."_

"_I know."_

"_So how big of a brat do you think this kid is going to be?"_

"_I don't know, but he better be one hell of a singer."_

**_week twenty-one_**

_Kurt drummed his fingers nervously and impatiently on the table. His dad should have been home by now, and the countertenor was beginning to worry. He figured that Burt had to stay a little late at the shop (it happened a lot) but he wanted to talk to his dad now, and before Finn got home. He didn't need Finn overhearing their conversation. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as soon as Burt walked through the door._

"_Son, is something up?" He asked as soon he noticed Kurt just sitting there._

"_Yes, there's something I'd like to tell you."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Well, you remember that day where I came home hungover- Finn, too- and you and Carole were incredibly mad?"_

"_How could I forget? That was to a proud moment in my life."_

"_Well, uhm, the night before…at that party…I kind of got somebody pregnant."_

"_Wait, you what?" Burt questioned, trying to keep calm._

"_I'm so sorry," Kurt said, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "I didn't mean for this to happen."_

"_I should try not to be mad right now, that's the last thing you need. So, uh, what have you done about it? And who exactly is it?" Burt asked, just as Finn walked through the door._

"_Rachel." Replied Kurt, who hadn't noticed the appearance of the jock._

"_Let me get this straight, you got your step-brother's ex-girlfriend pregnant?"_

_Kurt nodded._

"_Wait, what?" Finn asked, intruding on their conversation._

"_Ohmygod, Finn." Was all Kurt managed to sputter out._

"_It's your fault Rachel's pregnant?"_

"_You can't blame one person for a pregnancy."_

"_But, dude! I can't believe you."_

"_Firstly, do NOT call me dude, and secondly, if we're playing the blame game, YOU'RE the one who went off to god knows where with my boyfriend, leaving Rachel and I alone and in need of comfort!"_

"_So now this is my fault?"_

"_Yes!"_

"_Will both of you calm down!" Burt asked. By the looks on the two boys' faces, he could tell that they had forgotten about his presence. "Now, both of you are going to go to your rooms and we're going to have a family meeting about this when Carole gets home."_

**week twenty-one (continued)**

"…_and that's everything that happened as far as I know." Kurt finished. Finn had spoken before him, but both boys left out the part where they woke up without any clothes. Neither of their parents needed to know that._

"_Oh come here, both of you." Carole said, pulling each of the boys in for a hug. _

"_That was uh, a lot to take in." Burt remarked._

"_It was," Carole concurred. "And I don't know whether to be mad at you boys, or to be glad you told us this and that nothing terrible happened, except for the pregnancy."_

"_It's not that terrible," Kurt said. "We're all dealing, Rachel's parents are supporting her, and we found out the gender of the baby today."_

"_What is it?" questioned Finn._

"_It's a boy."_

"_That's great!" Carole said._

"_Carole, do you think we should punish them? I don't, I think they learned their lesson." Burt suddenly commented._

"_I agree with you, dear."_

"_Glad that's settled then."_

"_So no hard feelings?" Kurt said, looking at Finn._

"_Uh, I guess not."_

"_I told you I could make good parenting decisions." Burt whispered to Carole._

"_I never doubted you." She smiled._

**week twenty-five**

_Over the past month, news of Rachel's pregnancy had gotten out, and her stomach had begun to grow a lot. She thought it was funny how she barely showed for the first half of the pregnancy, but then seemed to swell up like a balloon. She'd gotten a wide array of responses from the student body- everything from "I'll support you" to "you're such a slut" to "you poor thing" to "damn Berry, you're huge!" to "Is she trying to follow in Quinn's footsteps..?" to "Rachel, can you give me a word for my blog?"_

_She was glad, though, that nobody questioned who the father was. Everyone seemed to think it was Finn, and only a few people knew better. Quinn was the only one who had no idea of who the father could be, and surprisingly hadn't told anyone what Rachel had told her. Obviously the two divas knew, and Rachel had learned that Finn knew who the real father was when Kurt told Burt. _

_Rachel was also surprised to learn that people weren't treating her as bad physically. She guessed the all had qualms about hitting a pregnant girl or something. She thought it was a little silly (a slushie facial would have in no way harmed her baby), but she was glad all the same. It was like a "get out of being beat up free" card. _

_School was almost over for the year anyway, so she didn't mind the verbal abuse._

**week thirty**

_It was a Saturday, and Kurt was busy surfing the web when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID; it was Blaine. The warbler had begun to call less and less, Kurt noticed, but still called at least once a week. Kurt didn't know whether to find it creepy, cute, or both. He had gotten over the other boy, and kind of wished he would, too. On the other hand, he did miss the coffee dates and duets, and Blaine's friendship. So he picked up the phone._

"_Kurt! I'm glad you answered."_

"_Hi to you too, Blaine."_

"_Sorry. Hello, how are you?"_

"_I'm good, thanks. Look, I want to tell you something."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I'm sorry. I've been really rude to you the past few months."_

"_Look, don't worry about it. If I cared about that I would have stopped calling all together."_

"_That's good to know. Anyway, I'm planning a surprise baby shower for Rachel that will happen in about a month. I'm inviting you."_

"_Wait, I have three questions. One, Rachel's pregnant? Two, are you the father? Three, why? Not that I mind. I'm accepting, of course."_

"_Yes, Yes, but you can't mention it because most people don't know, and because I miss our friendship. I want us to at least be friends again."_

"_That sounds good. And I want us to be friends again, too, which is the main reason I started calling less. I figured you thought it was annoying."_

"_More like creepy."_

"_Gee, thanks."_

"_You're welcome. I'll text you when I have an official date for the shower, okay? I have to go, so bye."_

"_Okay, and bye."_

**week thirty-two**

_Rachel made sure to hug everyone in New Directions, as well as Mr. Schue. She couldn't believe that the school year was already over, and that next year they'd all be graduating. They all signed each other's yearbooks and laughed about all the stupid things they'd done. And of course, they promised to keep in touch (although Rachel didn't think she'd actual see any of them besides Kurt, Finn, and maybe Tina and Mercedes) over the summer._

_After all the usual formalities were over, everyone gathered for an impromptu jam session. Nobody sounded that great as it was unrehearsed, but it was fun nonetheless. Rachel let herself shed a tear near the end, because she was going to miss everyone (even Santana) over the summer. Being with them and enjoying music was what made her smile and got her through her pregnancy so far. _

**week thirty-five**

"_Taa-daa!" everyone yelled out as soon as Rachel entered the room. She took in everything that she saw: All of New Directions plus Blaine, a bunch of balloons and streamers, lots of food, a pile of gifts, and a large banner that said "Congratulations!"_

"_Welcome to your surprise and unconventional baby shower, Miss Berry." Kurt smiled._

"_Oh my god you guys, this is amazing!" she squealed, making sure to give everyone a hug and a peck on the cheek._

"_It was nothing, really."_

"_Don't listen to him, Rache. He's been freaking out about this for the past week."_

"_Finn, be quiet, the focus is supposed to be on Rachel!"_

"_But it's fun to embarrass you."_

"_Let's go play some games before I'm tempted to strangle Finn." Kurt suggested as he was greeted by a round of cheers (and an 'I'd like to see that!' from Puck)._

_The party was a huge success, and everyone enjoyed themselves (even the guys, although most later denied it). Kurt made them all play ridiculous games like "Never say Baby" (which Blaine ended up winning, because he discovered the loophole of saying 'infant' instead) and "How many baby items can you name?" After the games Rachel opened presents, which were mostly diapers, gift cards and Kurt-approved clothing. _

_Overall, everyone was laughing and there was no tension in the air. Kurt and Blaine even managed to rekindle their friendship, and it was surprisingly not that awkward. Puck also started a few bets: When x and x would get together (for about 5 different almost-couples), when Rachel would reveal the father of the baby, and who would be the next to get pregnant._

**week thirty-eight**

_Rachel screamed in agony. Her dads had just rushed her to the hospital as her water had broken. She was glad it was summer, because she spent the last few weeks of her pregnancy being as inactive as possible. Her fathers also called the Hudmel house for her, because she said she wanted both Finn and Kurt there. Both households made it to the hospital in record time._

_Rachel was squeezing one of Finn's hands, and one of Kurt's, as the two boys were situated on either side of her. Finn used his free hand to pat the small brunette and tell her it was going to be alright, whereas Kurt used his to cover his ears. The girl's cries were painfully loud, as she had refused medication for whatever reason. _

_Several hours of howls and screeches later, Rachel held her baby boy in her arms. She smiled, and thought it was amazing how all that anguish (and now exhaustion) had produced life. Life that she had housed for the better part of a year. She smiled as the doctors handed her a birth certificate, which she tiredly filled out._

"_Victor, huh?" asked Kurt._

"_Mhmm." mumbled Rachel. _

"_Where'd you get that from?" Finn inquired. _

"_After Victor Hugo… I want to sleep now…"_

"_Okay, get some rest," Finn said, and then mouthed to Kurt "Who's Victor Hugo?"_

"_The man who wrote Les Mis." Kurt mouthed back._

"_Which is….?"_

"_Les __Misérables__, Rachel's favorite musical?" _

"_How do you know this?"_

"_How do you not?"_

"_Guys, shut up and let me sleep. Giving birth is _exhausting_." Rachel whined. _

"_Alright, Fine Ms. Crankypants."_

"_Really, Finn? Crankypants?" Kurt laughed. _

"_Shut up."_

**_a year later (epilogue)_**

_Rachel walked out of her house carrying Victor in one arm and a cake with one lit candle in the other. Everyone clapped as she placed the cake onto the table, and then Victor into his high chair. All 13 of the young adults began to sing "Happy Birthday" as Victor clapped and giggled. The small boy also tried to sing along, but his words were slightly garbled._

"_I can't believe it's already been a year!" exclaimed Mercedes as Rachel began to cut the cake. _

"_I know, right? It seems like only yesterday I was crying and thinking my life was over." The brunette agreed._

"_I still can't believe Berry hasn't spilled the beans about the father." Santana said, taking her slice of cake._

"_Are you really bringing this up now? I told you that it's a secret. Can we just celebrate my son's birthday? Thanks."_

"_Nwo fwight!" exclaimed the little boy._

"_He talks?" asked the Latina._

"_A little- he can toddle too."_

"_That's so cute! I love babies." Tina giggled._

"_I don't think you'd love the diaper changes, temper tantrums, and how picky of an eater he is." Rachel retorted. _

"_Ew, we're eating here!" Puck laughed._

"_What? I was just explaining how much of a pain in the a-s-s my son can be."_

"_So he's like you then?"_

"_Shut up, Noah."_

"_What does that spell?" Brittany whispered to Santana._

"_Ass. She just doesn't want the baby to hear." She replied._

"_Oh."_

"_So Berry, I still want to know who fathered your baby. Won't you just tell us?"_

"_Nope," responded Rachel. "I don't think it would be fair to the father if you guys knew."_

"_You should tell them if you want to." Kurt suddenly said, giving her a look that said he didn't mind if they knew._

"_Do you all really want to know?" she asked._

"_Yes!" replied a chorus of people._

"_Fine," she sighed, taking a dramatic pause._

"_Just spit it out!" growled Santana._

"_It was Kurt." Stated the petite diva, who was greeted by gasps and confused stares by those who didn't know. After a few moments, everyone began to talk at once._

"_Are you shitting us?" _

"_Hold up, Kurt fathered your baby!Why didn't I know about this? Who knew?" _

"_This is too much." _

"_I don't get what the big deal is." _

"_That explains far too many things!"_

"_You guys all owe me, pay up." said Artie._

"_Calm down, everyone!" Rachel exclaimed. "I knew you'd all react like this, which is why I didn't tell you sooner. Except for Artie, what the heck are you talking about?"_

"_At your baby shower I bet that you'd reveal the father of your child on his first birthday. Which is today, so everyone who bet that day needs to pay up."_

"_I'm not paying you, dude. There's no way in hell that Hummel fathered her baby." Puck said._

"_Noah, watch your language around Victor, would you?" miffed Rachel._

"_I know I'm gay, but I'm perfectly capable of creating sperm, thanks." Kurt snippily stated._

"_But you're gay. Why would you…"_

"_Noah, if you finish that sentence I swear I will do painful things to you that I won't describe in detail because there is a toddler among us," Rachel thundered. "And it happened because _you_ spiked the punch at a party, and Kurt and I were both in need of comfort at the time- the reason for that is an anecdote you won't be hearing from me anytime soon. Can we stop talking about this and get back to enjoying my kid's first birthday, thanks?"_

"_Dang Berry, I didn't know you had all that anger in you."_

"_It's motherly instinct. You all finished eating your cake, why don't we go inside and open Victor's presents?" she asked, looking at her child._

"_Pwesens!" he cooed, clapping his hands._

"_You know," Quinn whispered after everyone had gotten up. "He totally has Kurt's eyes."_

"_I noticed that too." Sam agreed._

"_Come on you two, or we'll start without you!" Rachel called from inside the house._

"_Okay, we're coming!" responded Quinn._

_The group gathered around as Victor tried to open his gifts. He failed, though, so Rachel ended up unwrapping them for him. The gifts were basically the same as the one from the baby shower, although now there were toys instead of diapers and it the clothes were just a bit more avant-guard. Rachel was pretty sure one of the shirts someone gave was made for a girl. _

_Everyone laughed and enjoyed themselves (just like at the baby shower) although Puck decided no more betting. They also all decided that they'd meet every year on the youngest Berry's birthday. It worked well for all of them, because it was in the summertime and they would all be heading for different colleges that fall. They knew they would miss each other, but also that they would meet again somewhere._

_And in the end life had turned out pretty damn good, even if wasn't perfect or how they expected._


End file.
